The US government has learned that Russia is sending a delegation to North Korea to provide food in return for weapons.
North Korea has always denied American accusations that it has sent weapons to the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries and the Russian military in Ukraine.
Any arms agreement between North Korea and Russia, according to US national security spokesperson John Kirby, would go against decisions made by the UN Security Council.
At a news conference on March 30, Kirby stated that the US has fresh information regarding a settlement between the two nations.
“We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions,” he said.
Kirby said the US was monitoring the situation, and the alleged deal, closely.
The US Treasury also blacklisted a Slovakian man for acting as a broker between Russia and North Korea. Featuring on the sanctions blacklist means American businesses cannot have dealings with Mkrtychev, and it freezes his US assets.
The treasury said Ashot Mkrtychev, 56, had arranged sales and organise deals that would enable North Korea to ship weapons to Russia in late 2022 and early 2023.
In return Pyongyang received cash, commercial aircraft, commodities and raw materials, they said.